Ingredient Review

The first ingredient is salmon broth. Salmon broth provides both flavor and moisture; however, as with other broths, salmon broth does not provide any notable nutritional contribution.

The second ingredient is salmon. Although salmon is an excellent protein and omega-3 fatty acid source, raw salmon contains more than 60% moisture. After cooking, the relative meat contribution of salmon is dramatically reduced. Therefore, it's important to ensure that other meat sources are included within the first few ingredients to ensure the product derives most of its protein from meat.

The third ingredient is chickpea. Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are an excellent carbohydrate source, naturally rich in dietary fiber and protein.

The fourth ingredient is pea. Peas are starchy members of the legume family. Other than carbohydrates, peas are notably high in plant based protein and various vitamins and minerals.

The fifth ingredient is pea protein. Pea protein is produced by removing the starchy parts of peas. Pea protein is considered controversial because it provides a substantial plant based protein boost. This boost is undesirable because plant based protein is typically lower in biological value when compared to meat based proteins.

Because ingredients are listed in order of pre-cooked weight, the remaining ingredients in Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Indoor Salmon & Chickpea Formula are not as important as the first five ingredients.

However, collectively they still have a significant impact on the overall quality of the product. Therefore, we'll continue discussing the remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance recipe.

Next we have natural flavor. Unlike artificial flavoring, natural flavoring is produced using plants and/or animal parts.

The remaining ingredients in this Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets recipe are unlikely to affect the overall rating of the product.

Our analysis of the ingredients show that this product derives a substantial amount of protein from non-meat ingredients. This is an undesirable property because plant based protein often lacks many of the necessary amino acids required by cats. This property is typically found in lower quality products.

Final Thoughts

In summary, we recognize that this product does not contain any artificial colors, artificial preservatives, or anonymous meat ingredients.

The official PawDiet rating for Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Indoor Salmon & Chickpea Formula is 2.0 out of 5.